From language teaching to people-to-people exchanges
Two decades of Chinese language education in Kenya and its role in Kenya–China educational exchange
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15554159 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yinghua Zhong (Tianjin Normal University, corresponding author), Shangxue Wang (Tianjin Normal University), Yu Liang (0009-0002-8666-8046, Research Institute of Ukrainian Studies), Jeremiah M Kalai (0000-0003-4074-0815, University of Nairobi) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 231-253 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African Media Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1751-7974 • E-ISSN: 2040-199X |
| Publisher | Intellect (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1386/jams_00148_1 |
| OpenAlex | W7147478922 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
Since the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi was founded in 2005, China and Kenya have officially embarked on a Chinese language education partnership. For twenty years, the diverse cross-cultural practices caused by Chinese language education in Kenya have promoted China–Kenya people-to-people exchange. Our study adopts a cross-cultural perspective focusing on international Chinese language education in Kenya, employing qualitative research methods and conducting interactive, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in the development of international Chinese education in the country. This study analyses the practice of teaching Chinese in Africa and the inherent logical relationship between language teaching and cultural exchange. Findings reveal that international Chinese education in Kenya has significantly promoted people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya, deepening mutual cultural understanding. Our study offers several suggestions, including establishing standardized frameworks for regional and country-specific Chinese education; improving multi-channel mechanisms for local Chinese language teacher training; developing localized teaching materials and digital teaching resource platforms; and expanding language, cultural and technological exchange models between China and Kenya. These insights provide theoretical foundations and practical references for deepening cooperation in Chinese education and promoting people-to-people relations between the two countries through language teaching
China · Chinese education · Chinese language · International education · Language education · Language industry · Perspective (graphical · Resource (disambiguation · China's Global Influence and Migration · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Multilingual Education and Policy
| Highly cited | No |
|---|